Telegram Founder Pavel Durov:

Russia is restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force its citizens to switch to a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship.

8 years ago, Iran tried the same strategy — and failed. It banned Telegram on made-up pretexts, trying to force people onto a state-run alternative.

Despite the ban, most Iranians still use Telegram (bypassing censorship) and prefer it to surveilled apps.

Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer. Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich describes highly coordinated Israeli strike on Iranian targets, saying “13 missiles” were launched simultaneously to prevent targets from escaping.

The attack was timed for 2:00 AM, with public sirens set to match, because “we couldn’t tell the public.”

He says intelligence showed senior Iranian officers — “three generals” — fled their apartments after a warning, forcing a last-minute change:

“They change the attack plan while the planes are in the air.”

The strike was delayed to 3:00 AM, but he claims “they manage to get those ten, and another four.”

Smotrich concludes by praising Israel’s military capabilities, saying “there’s no army in the world that has the capability to close intelligence and fire like that.”

Trump:

If we do not reach an agreement with Iran, we will be forced to carry out very harsh action.

I am considering sending an aircraft carrier to the region and additional forces.

Source: N12

Barak Ravid after his phone call with Trump:

Trump told me that if a diplomatic agreement cannot be reached with Iran regarding its nuclear program, he will be ready to take military action…

Trump said: ‘Either we make a deal, or we’ll have to do something very tough, like last time.’

He told me that he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, in addition to the USS Lincoln, and additional attack ships and fighter jets.

‘We have an armada there, and perhaps another one on the way.’

Trump said the Iranians are showing much more flexibility than before the 12-day war:

‘These are completely different contacts than last time.’

The President told me:

'I don’t think Netanyahu is pressured by the US negotiations with Iran. He also wants a deal—he wants a good deal.'

Trump added:

'We can reach an excellent deal with Iran. They won’t have nuclear weapons; they won’t have missiles.' The nuclear issue, according to him, is a 'no-brainer'—meaning it must be part of any deal.

Trump said that the Iranians are showing much more flexibility in the recent round of negotiations that began on Friday than they did in the negotiations before the 12-day war.

He told me:

'These are completely different contacts than last time. The Iranians didn’t believe I would attack them; they took too big a gamble.'

Trump noted that he believes another round of negotiations between the US and Iran will take place as early as next week.

South Korean official Kim Hee Soo sparked backlash and a diplomatic protest after saying South Korea could “import young unmarried women” from countries like Vietnam or Sri Lanka to marry “young men in rural areas” to address the falling birth rate.

After public outrage, Kim apologized, saying he “sincerely bows his head in apology” for using terms like “import” that “undermines human dignity.”

Marco Rubio will visit Hungary and Slovakia this week as part of a Central Europe tour following the Munich Security Conference.

In Budapest, Rubio will meet senior officials to advance bilateral and regional interests, a trip that carries added weight ahead of Hungary’s April election.

In Slovakia, Rubio is expected to focus on regional security, NATO commitments, and cooperation on nuclear energy.

Source: POLITICO

Sudan Army’s drone strikes also destroyed RSF terror group’s Chinese-made CH-95 drone.

These systems had been deployed in Darfur and Kordofan.

Senator Graham once again posts about Iran.

JD Vance on Greenland:

If we're going to be on the hook for protecting this massive land mass, I think it's only reasonable for the United States to get some benefit out of that.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever:

We will buy more F-35s — there is no other choice.

Cutting ties with the United States would be a colossal stupidity.

From one day to the next, breaking with NATO is impossible.

Geopolitics must not be emotional.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever:

Some things coming from the White House hurt us and humiliate us. But a total rupture with the United States would be stupid.

Europe has been naïve. The world we dreamed of no longer exists — maybe it never did.

Ukraine showed how dependent we are on the United States. We may no longer be able to count on them as we did for 80 years.

But acting emotionally in geopolitics would be foolish.

Breaking with the US overnight would be total stupidity.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever:

We must integrate our market and use it as a weapon against the great imperial blocs.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever:

If we decarbonize Europe by de-industrializing Europe, then we have lost everything.

White House on Epstein:

We are moving on from that.

Colombian President Petro claims there’s an ongoing plot against him involving planted drugs, judicial persecution, and election sabotage:

Someone ordered the police to withdraw… to plant psychoactive substances in my car.

Their mission was to destroy the meeting with Trump.

They want to harm the president physically.

NEW: U.S. to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train its military (not fight) against Islamist militants, shortly after Donald Trump accused Nigeria of allowing the killing of Christians and threatened intervention.

Source: WSJ

Trump administration talked about seizing more Iranian oil tankers to squeeze Tehran, but backed off over fears Iran would retaliate, spike oil prices, or treat it as an act of war.

Iran could respond by seizing allied tankers or mining the Strait of Hormuz (≈25% of global oil).

Officials fear retaliation would “drive up oil prices sharply.”

Over 20 Iranian-linked ships are already sanctioned and potential targets.

Source: WSJ

Trump:

This is the greatest period of anything that we have ever seen.

Colombian President Petro on assassination attempt against him:

I have to confess… I’ve been traveling for two days escaping being killed.

I couldn’t land because the lights weren’t turned on. In the morning I didn’t land where I was supposed to, fearing the helicopter would be shot at, with my children inside.

So we went out to sea for four hours and I arrived where I wasn’t supposed to—but I arrived.